Atletico Madrid Staff Member Accused of ‘Disgusting’ Actions Against Liverpool Fans

Fans are calling for a member of Diego Simeone’s backroom staff to be banned for life following his ‘disgusting’ actions during Liverpool’s breathless 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. The Reds raced into a two-goal lead inside seven minutes but, true to form, found themselves in a precarious position late on.

Marcos Llorente scored twice to set up a tense finale, but, as in three of Liverpool’s first five fixtures this season, Arne Slot’s side found a dramatic injury-time winner through a sublime Virgil van Dijk header. Scenes of euphoria erupted across Anfield, while a small section in the Main Stand behind the dugout became the focus of confrontation from Simeone and his coaching team.

The main talking point was how one Liverpool supporter managed to goad Simeone into flying off the handle, earning a straight red card – a heckler who has since revealed himself on social media. However, new footage from that section of Anfield shows that one of Atletico’s staff members may have committed an even more obscene act.

Atletico Madrid Staff Member Accused of Spitting at Liverpool Fans

Needless to say, there was plenty to unpack from the ugly scenes, in which just a handful of stewards separated the fury between Liverpool supporters and Simeone’s coaching staff. Now that the dust has settled, new accusations have emerged against one of the staff members over a potential spitting incident. Watch the footage (at 00:16) below:

It hasn’t taken long for the video to do the rounds on social media, with football fans of all different persuasions calling for action to take place. “Lifetime ban surely?” one X user asks, “If the shoe were on the other foot..” while a second added: “Legit – bring charges. It’s assault and it’s gross.” Elsewhere, a third remarked:

Another user wrote: “Ban and fine for Atletico Madrid. A new rivalry between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid has formed,” while a fifth concluded: “Crazy, that should be a long ban and a big fine. Ridiculous behaviour. Say something back, sure – but to spit is nuts.”

Spitting at an opponent or official is considered a serious breach of fair play and is classified as unsporting behavior under Article 11 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations. There is no fixed number of games for suspension, as penalties are assessed case-by-case by the UEFA Control Ethics and Disciplinary Body, taking into account factors like intent, provocation, and the person’s history.

Based on precedent, a typical suspension for spitting ranges from two to four matches, but that usually applies to player-to-player incidents. It remains to be seen how UEFA will handle a case involving someone external to the game.